


All That's Left

by KittyGodspeed118



Category: CinnamonToastKen - Fandom, Dodger - Fandom, Game Grumps, PewDiePie - Fandom, cryaotic, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Gore, Multi, YouTubers - Freeform, Zombie, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-31 23:10:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6491113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyGodspeed118/pseuds/KittyGodspeed118
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Grumps are caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. People die, love is lost, decisions are made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Three Hours

"Dan, wake up," a muffled voice demands. "Dan, wake up, man. Wake the fuck up!"

"A-Arin," he replied weakly, his throat dry.

"Thank fucking god, dude. We thought you were dead or something."

"W-what happened? What do you mean? What's going on?"

Dan looked at the gore and muck all over his fanmade Def Leppard t-shirt and hands. He shuddered, hands trembling and breath hitching. The memories had all come flooding back. He hugged his bony knees to his chest and fought back tears.

They were in a car when they saw the first dead body walking. The day started off so normally. It was quiet and pretty uneventful. That was, until Arin hit something with his car.

"I think it was a deer or something," he shrugged.

"We should at least check and see if we can help it," Dan insisted, craning his neck out the window. "It looks like it's hurt pretty badly."

"Alright, hang tight."

Arin unbuckled his seatbelt and slid out of the car, walking around to the front of it and kneeling down next to the body. 

"Dude, this is so fucked," Arin gasped, standing up almost immediately.

"What? Is it dead?"

Arin rushed back to the car and slammed the door, his hands shaking as he tried to grip the steering wheel. He stared straight ahead, breathing heavily in the silence of the vehicle. He revved up the engine, his grip tightening on the wheel.

"Dude-"

"It was a person," Arin croaked, pulling off the side of the road. "Rotting and shit, man, it was crazy. The skin was all gray and-"

"Stop fucking with me," Dan scoffed. "That's not funny-"

"I'm serious, Dan! I fucking saw-"

"Arin, watch the road!"

And everything happened so fast. There was a person in the middle of the road, just walking. Arin turned the steering wheel to avoid hitting what he thought was a bystander.The car swerved off the road and down into the nearby ditch. Dazed, Arin stayed still, trying to get a grip on himself before looking over to Dan. His best friend gritted his teeth and tried to wriggle his long legs out from under dashboard. Arin breathed a sigh of relief as Dan finially kicked free. 

"You alright," he panted, running his hands through his curly hair.

"Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"I-I think I'm fine. What the fuck was that thing in the road?"

"I think it was a-wait, shh. Be quiet and don't move."

They heard loud groans and the sounds of creaking bones. A zombie had trudged by the overturned car, followed by several others. The zombie groaned loudly, as if trying to communicate with...something. It was still terribly human. Both men were frozen in fear until Arin's eye caught sight of double-barrel shotgun next to the passenger side door. It lay in the grass next to a pool a blood. It was obvious that someone was put out of their misery. Or at least they tried. The body was gone, most likely wandering aimlessly as part of the undead uprising.

"Danny, there's a gun over there," Arin whispered.

"I can't move, man. I can't-"

"Dan, just open the door and pull it in. It could give us a way out of here. Come on. You can do it."

Dan shook as he unbuckled his seatbelt and slowly opened the car door. His breathing continued to increase in speed as his hands trembled and picked up the shotgun. He slid it from his sweaty palms to Arin's, who sat silently as he thought of a plan. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the herds of zombies lurch by. 

"Is your side clear," he whispered.

"Y-yeah, all clear."

"Make as little noise as possible. We can sneak out on your side and get to safety. Can you walk?"

"I-I think so...my ankle's just a little numb."

He groaned quietly, kicking open the door and shimmied outside to the best of his ability. Arin waited only seconds after to follow Dan out of the car with the newly acquired weapon in his shaky grip. When they were both resting on the wet grass, Arin held the gun and gestured for Dan to listen closely.

"Look at them walking around...it's like something out of a slasher flick," Arin choked. "This is so fucked up..."

"Where do we go from here? There are tons of them everywhere...how is that even possible...? What the fuck is going on?"

"I don't know, but what I do know is that you and I both have somewhere to be and we're not gonna let whatever the fuck is happening get us down. We're getting out of this. Trust me on this, Dan. I got your back."

"A-alright, I trust you."

"The Grump Space should be only a few blocks from here, I think? We can head straight up. Come on."

Dan nodded and slowly stood on his shaking legs, following after Arin as he shot his way down the road and to the Grump Space. As they climbed out of the ditch, their clothes were covered in gore and mud. The smell was absolutely horrid. Dan felt his stomach lurch each time a zombie came near him. The chase died down after the duo were covered in muck and guts. Dan limped behind him to the best of his ability, swallowing his fear. He felt tears stinging in his eyes as Arin unlocked the door and shut it as quickly as he could, barring it with two chairs. 

"Guys, what the hell happened," Barry demanded, looking them both over. "We tried calling you like, a hundred times."

"Have you seen the fuckin'-" Arin panted, dropping the rifle on the floor and sitting down.

"Yeah, we saw. Tell us what happened! We were worried as fuck-"

"Car crash," Dan managed to say before collapsing on the floor. 

"Dan, wake up," a muffled voice demands. "Dan, wake up, man. Wake the fuck up!"

"A-Arin," he replied weakly, his throat dry.

"Thank fucking god, dude. We thought you were dead or something."

"W-what happened? What's going on?"

Dan looked at the blood and bits of organs all over his fanmade Def Leppard t-shirt and hands. He shuddered, hands trembling and breath hitching. The memories had all come flooding back. He hugged his bony knees to his chest and fought back tears.

"It's all real, then," he breathed, tensely running his fingers through his wild, curly hair.

"Yeah, man, it's real. We pretty much boarded up all the windows and shit."

Everyone surrounded Dan. Suzy, Ross, Arin, Barry, Kevin, and even Mark had been locked in with them. Ross paced in the back impatiently, holding his phone to his ear. His expression wasn't the usual smirk or grin, but terrified or angry now. He muttered something, nervously twisting his wedding ring around his finger. Dan immediately dug around in the pockets of his grungy jeans and grabbed his own phone.

"I need to call my parents."

Arin nodded as if he understood, gesturing for everyone to give Dan the space he needed. The 34 year old held the phone in his trembling hand, hugging his knees to his chest and waiting patiently.

"Ehhh, hello?" A familiar voice answered, forcing a smile onto Dan's face. "Daaan, is that you?"

"H-hey, Avi, yeah. It's me," Dan chuckled, wiping away tears. "What's goin' on over there? Stuff's pretty bad on this end..."

"We took your sister to Isreal to see the Qumran Caves," Avi said cheerfully. "Wish you were here, though. You haven't been to the caves in a long time-"

"Avi, I love you. I just...things are really bad here and we don't know what's happening. In case things go wrong, I just want you to know I love you and Dana and Debby so much..."

"Dan, is everything alright? You sound ehhh, upset-"

"Just....you guys should stay in Isreal a little while longer, okay? Stuff's really bad here...I promise I'll call when I have more information."

"Take care of yourself, okay, Dan?"

"I'll try, Avi. I love you."

"I love you too!"

Dan hung up the phone, staring down at the black screen for a moment. He walked to the window, peeking out. The air was filled with the dense sounds of the dead roaming about. He turned to the rest of the group, forcing a smile onto his sheet-white face.

"So, what's the plan?"


	2. Four Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ross fears the worst

A storm rolled in and lasted for hours, it seemed. Ross stayed on the phone all night, calling anyone who might have seen Holly. He paced around, running his fingers through his light brown hair with a look of utter helplessness on his face. Kevin stayed close, trying to offer Ross food in between calls. Arin and Suzy agreed that it was best to come up with a plan, knowing that this terrible epidemic wouldn't be resolved over night. Barry stayed with Dan whenever he could, though he was racing around with Mark to make modifications to cameras and such for security's sake. It had been 4 days. Zombies grazed and moved on, occasionally trying to claw their way through the door. Everything felt very quiet when they were locked inside.

"Dan and I are gonna stay here and try getting in touch with anyone who might have an update on the situation," Arin said abruptly, after pacing about.

"I'll take Mark. We'll go hunting," Suzy answered. "We'll run out of food eventually."

"I'll take Ross and Kevin to look for supplies and weapons," Barry volunteered, his face brimming with concern for Ross.

Dan sat next to the window, staring vacantly at the hoards of zombies roaming about. Barry sat down next to him, saying nothing and yanking Dan's head into his chest gently.

"I'm fine," Dan protested. "I-I just...I'm worried about Ross..."

"Me too. I think he's been trying to get in touch with Holly. He's been on the phone all day."

"That must be hell," Dan sighed, wrapping his arms around Barry and closing his eyes. "I mean, like, not being able to get in touch with the one person who means everything to you is scary as fuck. I guess I wouldn't know...but like, I can't imagine that shit happening to me."

"Don't think about it," Barry said quietly, rubbing Dan's back. "Your family's safe and that's good."

"How do you think Brook's doing?"

"Dodger?"

Dan nodded, looking away from Barry. He hugged his knees and shut his eyes. He fought back tears, clenching his fists. He was always been the emotional one in the group. He would laugh to cover up rage or tears, but he caught himself breaking too many times. He inhaled deeply, trying his hardest to keep his composure. He tried so desperately to stay as emotionally strong as the others. He really did. Even in a zombie hellscape, he felt as if he had to keep up appearances. In retrospect, it seemed stupid, but it was all he had left at that point.

"Hey, don't cry," Barry begged. "Please try to stay strong."

"I'm trying, man, I swear," Dan said, his voice faultering. "I swear to fucking god, I'm trying..."

"I'm sure everything's gonna be fine. We just need to hold out as long as we can."

"FUCK!" a voice shrieked from the back of the room.

Dan darted from his perch and ran as fast as he could to Ross. The Aussie's hand shook as he dropped the phone. Everyone stood still and waited for Ross to say something. The room fell silent and all anyone could do is wait.

"No one's seen Holly since the...dead started walking. Someone found her glasses, but they were bloody and broken..."

"Hey, man, we don't know if-" Dan started, forcing optimism through his tone.

"What are the odds," Ross sobbed. "What are the fucking odds that she survived all this time?!"

"Don't jump to conclusions," Barry soothed. "She's resourceful. She's probably fine. You can't lose hope yet."

Ross looked up, his blue eyes filling with tears as he slipped his phone in his pocket. Dan nearly broke down too. The only thing he hated more than Ross the Jackass was Sad Ross. He was normally so optimistic about everything. Even when they lost hours of Steam Train footage, he tried to smile through it. Now, this was a totally different side to him. His pale face was red and his blue eyes were bloodshot and dull. He was a mess.

"I can't lose Holly," he breathed quietly. "I won't lose her. Not yet. We haven't even begun to live yet...I want kids, ya know?! I wanna hold her one last time or...or...something! This can't be it..."

Arin held Suzy a bit closer just then. The thought of losing his best friend and lover was enough to break him down.

"Maybe you shouldn't go hunting," he murmured to her.

"We're running out. Even being as careful as we are, it won't last us long. I'll be with Mark. We'll be fine."

The room was tense. Everyone's minds were too cluttered for anyone to say anything. Ross continued pacing and everyone watched helplessly.


	3. One Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings get hurt and tragedy happens

The storm hadn't let up all month. The Grump Space had suffered minor flooding, but it was still livable. The plumbing was still usable, and minus a few stragglers, the hoards of zombies had passed by without too much trouble. Now the issues were internal; starting with food.

Suzy rose shortly before the sun, loading guns and digging around for silencers. As she said before, her and Mark were to go hunting when food was low. Where does one even hunt for food in Los Angeles? She slipped on her combat boots and snuck towards the door.

"Suze? That you," a groggy voice asked sleepily.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered hastily.

"Mkay."

She kissed Arin's forehead gently, letting him rest as he had been staying watch for the last few days. The man was beyond exhausted. She ushered Mark out and closed the front door quietly, being careful not to wake the others.

"This'll be quick," she murmured, holstering her guns and picking up a baseball bat.

"What're we hunting for," Mark asked, rolling up his sleeve and covering his face in zombie gore.

"Deer. It's big enough, I think."

"Yeah."

She stepped out into the street and tried to keep her mind off Mark. Since the apocalypse, he'd been withdrawn and quiet. His eyes were bloodshot and he murmured to himself or said very little for days on end. The eerie moans of the walking dead in the distance complimented the quiet clicks of footsteps.

"Agh!"

Something had latched onto her ankle. Suzy froze in place, shuddering and trying to swallow the fear that was eating at her.

"That's..." Mark began, his voice low and distant.

The nails were decaying, but the lilac nail polish was still in tact. Suzy slowly turned to see the browning face of her friend, Holly Conrad. Her blue eyes were greying as she tried to speak.

"He...lp...m...e..." The voice whispered. "Sa...ve...me..."

Suzy's mouth fell open as she searched for her voice. Holly hand was still clenched around Suzy's foot.

"Su...zy...ple...ase..."

"Ross needs to see this. We don't have much time-"

"She'll kill us before we get through the door," Mark protested.

"We can't just leave her. Ross has to say goodbye. We're not even far. Go get him."

Mark reluctantly ran back to the building, slipping in as quietly as he snuck out. He came back with Ross, who was in a flustered panic.

"You found her? Is she okay? Where is sh-"

All questions ceased as all three of them stared at the writhing, actively decaying body. Holly weakly smiled with what muscles she could still move in her face.

"Oh my god," Ross breathed, tears filling his blue eyes.

"Ro...sssss..."

Suzy wiped away tears and held out a gun.

"You have to put her out of her misery before she completely turns," she explained softly, her voice faltering.

"What the fuck? You expect me to fucking kill my wife?!"

"You want her to spend the rest of her undead life roaming around like a mindless beast," Mark demanded. "Look at her, Ross! Someone's gonna kill her eventually when they find her bottom feeding! It may as well be cut short by the man she loves."

Ross' hand shook violently as he took hold of the gun.

"Holly, baby, I love you. You're gonna be able to fly with the birds, okay? Please forgive me. Fucking...fucking forgive me..."

Even with the silencer, there was still a piercing sound when the bullet was fired. Ross dropped to his knees, cradling the dead girl in his arms. He sobbed, holding her punctured head close to his chest while Suzy and Mark looked on.

"Listen, Ross-" Suzy began, touching Ross' shoulder gently.

"Don't. Just don't even fucking try and say anything to me. There's nothing you could possibly say," Ross choked.

"We'll be back," Mark said reluctantly. "We have to hunt...we'll be back soon. And, uh...I'm sorry for your loss."

The other two darted out to a nearby forest preserve, leaving Ross in the middle of the road with his wife's corpse.


	4. That Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There are moments that the words don't reach, there is suffering to terrible to name"

Ross finally went inside, pushing past everyone and locking himself in the bathroom. He'd been in there for at least a few hours by then. As far as Dan knew, Suzy and Mark went hunting and brought back food. He was the only one who could muster the courage to talk to Ross. When it came to sadness, Dan was normally the one who dealt with Ross when Holly wasn't around.

"Ross? What happened, buddy? You okay?"

No one spoke about what they saw outside that morning. Suzy and Mark didn't breathe a word of it to Dan, knowing how horribly he'd react.

"I'm fine," Ross yelled, kicking the door.

"Did you find out anything more about-"

"I put her down," he cut in. "She was crawling on the side of the road like a fucking bottom feeder with bite marks all over her body. I had to-"

"Oh my god," Dan breathed in disbelief, his knees growing weak. "I'm so sorry-"

"Everyone's fucking sorry! I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me! I just want Holly back!"

"I know but-"

The door opened and Ross stood there, teeth gritted and eyes bloodshot.

"No, Dan, you don't fucking know. What the fuck could you possibly know about what I'm going through?! In fact, what the fuck would you know about pain at all, huh?!"

"Excuse me?"

"You act all shaken up about this shit like you've had to do anything! EVERYONE'S DONE THE VIOLENT SHIT FOR YOU! YOU COULDN'T EVEN SHOOT A ZOMBIE BY YOURSELF! You're just a stoned asshole who can't keep his dick in his pants and has a fear of committing to anything but his shitty music! You don't know shit about pain! You're the biggest fucking coward out of all of us, so don't you fucking apologize to me like you know what the fuck I'm going through!!"

Dan's lip quivered as he stood in complete awe. Even towering over him by several feet, Dan was slightly intimidated by angry Ross. He had seen the Aussie saddened before, but angry was completely out of character. Everyone stood silently and watched the encounter. Dan clenched his fists and closed his eyes slowly. He, like Ross, rarely got angry. In fact, Ross was more likely to get pissed off than him. Then he smiled, and nothing in the room dared move. Where people like Arin and Ross tend to shout and let out their anger, Dan's rage was the most terrifying kind; the silent withdrawal. Even Ross expected some sort of fight out of him.

"Dan...? You okay?" Arin asked, keeping his distance.

"I'm fine," he replied blankly, cracking his knuckles.

There were so many things to say but no one to say them. Everyone always worried about Dan when he went silent. He was rarely ever angry with anyone, so when he was, it was a big deal. He was clearly hurt, but smiled as if nothing bothered him.

"Ross, you should apologize," Suzy finally interjected.

"I don't need an apology. He's right," Dan cut in, looking past everyone. "Honestly, I have no idea why the fuck anyone keeps me around here when I can barely even take care of myself. I'm fucking worthless, aren't I?"

Everyone stood silent. Unrest had been building up among the group for a while, but it was terrifying to see it all spill over. Dan was still useful, but he was rightfully terrified of the living dead.

Ross brushed past him, sitting in a corner of the room with his knees to his chest. No one followed after him, their focus solely on Dan. They knew Ross would calm down eventually. Dan, however, was incredibly hard to console after being hurt. His fuse was longer than most human beings, but Ross shortened that fuse by almost 99 percent. Dan clenched his fist and sighed.

"You're not worthless," Arin reassured quietly, still keeping his distance. "Ross is just pissed off and trying to deal."

"Maybe he's right, ya know? I don't do nearly enough around here. I'm not cut out for this shit..."

"Try not to think about it," Suzy cut in. "Let him cool down and then he'll probably apologize. Don't spend too much time dwelling on it. Get some sleep."

Everyone took that as a cue to disperse and try to sleep as well. Dan sat at the window with his trusty bass guitar. At this point, it was covered in blood and half the strings were busted. It was more a weapon at this point.

"I'm gonna take first watch. I don't think I can fuck that up," he sighed quietly.

"Let me know if you need anything," Arin murmured.

The moon was high, hidden by fog in the eerie night. The groans of the undead continued to saturate the air along with a wolf's howl every now and then. Dan stared through the spaces between wooden planks that barred the broken windows. Zombies lurched past and their creaking bones squeaked as they trudged around. One zombie brought its face to the boarded-up window, sniffing around for fresh flesh. Dan held his breath, tightening his grip on his bass. There was something almost intimate about the encounter, a living being coming face to face with a walking corpse. He stared, mesmerized. For a moment, his mind drifted into dangerously dark territory. Maybe he was better off dead. Normally, he was the one encouraging everyone to live. He was constantly reminding people of their worth, and here he was with his face pressed against the wooden planks, contemplating his own. The zombie growled as Dan blinked at it slowly, its own milky white ones staring back at him. Almost mechanically, he rose to his feet and opened the front door, letting himself out. Right where he'd left it, the zombie stood lazily. It turned to Dan and lurched forward, finally able to get at the fresh flesh. And for some horribly confusing reason, he didn't move away from it. Either the zombie would bite him, and he'd wander mindlessly among the other undead souls that walked the earth, or his body would react at the very last moment.

"Go on then," Dan muttered, his bass still in his hands.

The zombie bit into Dan's wrist before he kicked it off and bashed the head in with his guitar. By then, it was too late. He'd been bitten. It didn't hurt like he expected it to. It felt like getting a few shots at the doctor's. Then it went numb. He tugged down the sleeve of his leather jacket, sitting down on the wall and waiting for the bite to take effect and kill him.


	5. The Next Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is a group to do when their sunshine is snuffed out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always liked the idea of Dan in these situations just because his personality is usually incredibly sunny. I wanted to explore the side of him that would almost be referential to his depressive lows in college.

Dan woke up the way he fell asleep. He was slumped down against the wall of the building, hugging his knees to his chest. His bass was propped up next to him. His eyes gradually fluttered open as the living dead creaked to life and the sun rose. They lurched by, ignoring Dan. He scratched his wrist lazily, his fingers gliding along the jagged grooves of the bite mark. Then, the realization hit him; he hadn't turned at all. He rolled down the sleeve of his leather jacket and groaned, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

"I should've died," he murmured to himself.

Ross opened the front door and sat down next to Dan. He covered himself in gore and stared straight ahead. This was the routine now. Cover yourself in the entrails of someone you probably knew and you could stay outside for hours. It was no longer repulsive to any of them. This was the new normal.

"Are you okay," he mumbled, looking over finally.

"No."

"I'm sorry for what I said...I just...I had to kill her myself..."

There was a silence between them. They sat there, looking out at the vast world in front of them, which was covered in the living dead. Ross tried to think of something to say, and Dan was still at a loss for words. He was supposed to die. It'd been hours since he was bitten and nothing'd changed. The anger began to boil just beneath his skin as reality set in. He couldn't even die without fucking up. A fever was supposed to set in, then the pale skin and blurry vision, then the blackouts...and none of it happened.

"She's one of the lucky ones," Dan murmured bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at this fucking place. Look at how messed up everything is. No one deserves to live in a place like this. You put Holly out of her misery. It's like euthanizing someone who's dying of cancer. You make sure they don't suffer like we know they're going to when things progress. That kind of shit should almost make you happy, right? I mean, you get to send them out while we all stick around here and live with how things are..."

Dan smiled. It wasn't menacing or creepy. In fact, it was the kind of smile that'd been missing since the world had been infested with zombies. His eyes were sad, though. Blank, even.

"Imagine how lucky people like Holly must be...to have someone who loves them enough to end their pain no matter how much misery it'll bring them..."

Ross was still silent, a sort of fear creeping into his mind. Dan had lost his mind and Ross knew it was his anger that pushed him over the edge.

"What did it feel like," Dan went on, seemingly addressing no one or everyone. "I've never even held a gun...like you said; everyone kills so I don't have to. It's pathetic, really."

"What did what feel like?"

"The feeling of taking someone's life."

"I...I'm too used to it by now. I don't know."

"I should try it, huh? I mean, zombies probably aren't the same thing since their consciousness rotted away, but real living people like us...that must be something special, right?"

"Dan..."

"I must sound fucking crazy. I'm just thinking out loud."

Another silence. Ross shuddered as Dan looked over and smiled again. It was incredibly unsettling.

"It's actually kinda nice out here. You get used to the growls and moans of the dead after a while and then it's like white noise to fall asleep to..."

Dan's eyelids became heavier each time he blinked while his head felt like it was filled with air. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes calmly. Ross nudged him roughly, feeling a terrible mixture of disgust and discomfort.

"Were you out here all night?"

"Yep, since about 9:00 or so."

"How'd you stay out here without getting bitten?"

Dan said nothing and kept his blank stare on the road ahead of him. Ross felt an ominous anxiety fill his body as he turned to look at him.

"You're bit then," he concluded, his voice wavering.

Dan held out his wrist with the crude bite mark in it. The blood had dried and he hadn't bothered to scrape it from his skin. Ross stared in disbelief, being speechless for the first time in possibly his entire life.

"When-"

"Last night."

"You...should be dead..."

"I want to be."

"You did it on purpose? Dan, I'm so sorry...I didn't-"

"It wasn't just you. I totally thought my pain would just end if I went out like this. No need to think or love...or care at all..."

"That's a horrible way to think..."

"Yeah? Well, it's how I feel. Can't help it any."

"I shouldn't have said all that shit to you and I'm sorry, but please," Ross pleaded, grabbing Dan by the shoulders. "Snap out of it! This isn't like you at all-"

"I can't be the way I was, man. I just can't. I was so fucking stupid for thinking this shit would just roll off my back like it didn't matter...everything you said about me was true!"

They held each other's arms and suddenly the dead began to lurch towards them. They didn't bother keeping their voices down. Ross bolted upward and opened the door. They had plenty of time because of how slow zombies were, but he didn't want to risk anything. He yanked on Dan's arm hastily.

"Come on. We need to get inside."

"Leave me here."

"Dan, we don't have time to do this. I know you're in pain and I'm so fucking sorry, but we need to get inside-"

He didn't wait for a response before lifting him up with all his strength and dragging him inside. He shut the door and took a deep breath. Everyone was now awake, milling about the same way the dead did on the opposite side of the door. Their eyes all bolted towards Dan and Ross, all inquiring silently for a few moments before anyone actually spoke. 

"Is everything alright," Suzy asked quietly. 

Dan rolled up his jacket sleeve and held it out. He knew Ross probably wanted to keep it a secret. 

"You got bitten," Arin exclaimed, rushing forward to look at the bite. 

"Oh my god," Suzy breathed, fighting back tears. 

"No, guys, it happened last night," Ross cut in. "Nothing's changed. He was outside all night-"

"We can't take any chances," Mark interjected, picking up his pistol. 

"Mark, stop, holy shit," Arin barked, reaching for his own gun. "No one's shooting anyone. Ross said Dan got bit last night...he looks fine to m-"

"We can't risk it. We don't know how zombies work well enough to take a chance-" Mark went on coldly. 

He wasn't the same since the dead started walking...for obvious reasons. He began giving into anger that had been building up for years. Mark lashed out often or said nothing at all. It just seemed easier this way. 

"Fuck you, we're not killing my best friend-" Arin growled. 

Everyone fell silent as Dan laughed. He dropped to his knees and held Mark's gun to his head. His eyes held the most pathetic mix of joy and pain as he snorted. Nothing was particularly funny about the situation itself, but the idea of anyone protesting in his defense seemed absolutely hilarious. He'd been so worthless to the group since things went to hell. It was like the laugh so many fans had heard before on Game Grumps...only now, it was haunting.

"Mark is right...we don't know if it's safe yet...but we can't just kill him," Suzy said quietly. "We should at least tie him up and leave him in the kitchen. That way, if he turns, we can corner him. If he's fine in a few hours, we'll untie him."

"He's not just some animal, Suzy," Arin shouted. 

"Either that or we shoot him right now," Mark retorted. 

Arin rolled his eyes and looked down at Dan. He was absolutely pathetic sitting on the floor, staring at the barrel of the gun as if it was all he'd ever wanted in life. All Arin could do was watch Mark hoist Dan up and tie his hands behind his back. He glared at Suzy, probably blaming her for the indignity of his best friend being tied up like an animal for slaughter. He gritted his teeth when Dan's ramblings became louder. All they heard him say clearly was:

"You should have shot me."


End file.
